Industrial shortenings are often marketed in either plasticized solid or molten liquid form. For most application the plasticized form is required, though packaging is costly for the manufacturer and unpacking at the user presents labor cost and packaging material disposal problems. Consequently, it is advantageous in certain cases to provide a shortening or other oleaginous material in a pumpable form.
Various pumpable shortening compositions and processes for their preparation and use have been disclosed. Many of these are shortenings having relatively low solids contents. It is desirable in many applications, however, that the solids content be relatively high.
GB 1382214 discloses fluid shortenings said to have a relatively high percentage of hardstock and which do not require a time-consuming Beta to Beta conversion step. The shortening is prepared by splitting the hardstock from the emulsifier initially and later combining them.
Mitchell U.S. Patent No. 2,521,242 discloses an oleaginous suspension said to be permanently pumpable and which contains as much as 60% solid triglyceride. The product is made so as to ensure that solid triglyceride crystallizes in the B crystal form. It is mentioned that seed crystals may be used.
Lantz et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,846,312 is directed to semi-plastic or rigid solid shortenings treated to become and remain fluid at room temperature. The shortenings are plasticized as by running through a chilled agitator unit, and then passed to an agitating vessel where at room temperature the plastic mass is stirred or otherwise agitated for a period 2 days. The mass is said to remain fluid indefinitely. In Example 1, a batch of emulsified shortening comprising 30% normally solid triglyceride fat and 70% normally liquid triglyceride oil was used.
Payne et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,999,022 discloses a process for preparing a liquid shortening comprising heating oil containing solid fats to a temperature high enough to melt all of the solids, cooling to a temperature just above the alpha melting point of the fat and holding there for a length of time for small beta-prime crystalline growth, heating to a temperature a few degrees above the beta prime melting point to convert the beta prime crystals to beta crystals and cooling slowly to below the alpha melting point. The necessary agitation is described.
Rossen U.S. Pat. No. 3,528,823 discloses a fluid shortening having the following solid fat index values: 15-25 at 0.degree. C., 7-15 at 21.1.degree. C., 4-12 at 33.3.degree. C. and 3-12 at 42.0.degree. C.